And too much into milk or juice can make them a bit wired - both high in sugars and some children are sensitive to cow’s milk/ certain type of juices ( Orange, strawberry - keep it simple , a little fresh fruit better than
a lot of juice .). 16 of milk/ 24 hours- just about enough at this age ( can check with your Ped )
This just reminded me of something.
Now, I don’t believe in giving juice to kids on any sort of regular basis. I think it does weird things to their blood sugar, but that’s just me. My son drinks water and milk on a daily basis (milk only at meals, water in between), but will get 100% apple juice on a rare occasion as a treat, same with chocolate milk. Everyone can choose to do what they want for their own, though. I am not here to start a fight about
that.
However, what I have noticed is that if I keep my son’s diet stable and healthy, he is a lot easier to deal with. I make sure he gets enough snacks (2 a day) and that his diet consists primarily of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, high fat dairy products, and protein.
Here is a story to illustrate my point: we go to Mass every Sunday at 9 AM. Joseph was having a very hard time not being grumpy and a bit hyper during Mass. For a long time I just thought it was normal toddler behavior. Then one day it dawned on me… during the week our normal snack time is 930. He is used to having a snack during the time we are in Mass! He is probably hungry and his blood sugar has dropped so he’s crabby.
So I started giving him a string cheese in the car on the way to Mass (we don’t do any food or drink in Mass except for little nursing babies). It made a world of difference! He was more attentive to us and the Mass - as much as a toddler can be -, much quieter, and generally a lot more pleasant to deal with. Is he perfect? Not at all. He still gets wiggly and wants to talk during Mass, but that is normal behavior for his age.
So my point is, your son is definitely old enough to have a basic schedule of meals and snacks. It will help regulate his blood sugar, give him something to look forward to and do throughout the day, and hopefully make him a bit more pleasant (not that he isn’t now!) and compliant. Make sure he is getting healthy snacks that are good combinations of protein and whole grains, not high sugar, high white flour snacks like those marketed for kids. If you need any ideas, feel free to ask here or IM me. Maybe I will just start a whole new thread on this topic if there is enough interest.
Good luck!